Stealth: Or Lack Thereof
by AlibisDragon
Summary: Luffy thinks he's sooo sneaky. Zoro... disagrees. So they decide to make a wager. Will Luffy forfeit his meals for the day? Or will Zoro wind up as the captain's slave? ZoLu. Chapter 5 up.
1. The Bet: Ante Up

Hello again! I'm back with the first of several multichapter One Piece fics I have planned. Originally this was supposed to be a one shot, but then I got... more ideas... Anyway, this'll be shounen ai (I believe) and it's a ZoroxLuffy fic. Not much romance in this one I think, just fluff.Yay for ZoLu! Hope you enjoy it! (This is a really random idea just to warn you.) There will be two general parts, each with multiplechapters: Part 1 will be the bet and the actual competition-ish stuff, and Part 2 will be what happens as a result of the outcome of the bet.

I would like to take this time to thank those of you who reviewed my first OP Fic, Horseplay.

To Sofia: As am I! That would be a little awkward... Thanks for the comment!

To leefangirl: THANKS! Glad you think so! Thanks for the review!

To Chakenmo: Thank you! And yes, it really always is... ZoLu is cuteness abound! Thanks for the review!

To Digitaldreamer: AHH! I'm such a fan of Tangled Web! You're awesome and I'm so honored that you reviewed my story! I'm so glad you ejoyed it. Hopefully you'll like this one too! Thanks for the review!

To biggest anime fan: Thank you for the nice review! Glad you thought so!

To Hasuko: Here's more! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your wonderful comments!

To The Plushie Bandit: Thank you! It means a lot that you say that! I hope you enjoy this too!

To Griever5: Glad you like it! I imagined that Luffy was being his regular bottom-pit-self and stealing everyones food again. Thanks for the comment!

ToPink Feline: Thank you! I'm happy to hear you liked it. Thanks for leaving a review!

To dichana: Awww, you're so nice to say all those things! Glad you like it! And yay for favorites! You rock! I'm honored. Thank you for leaving a review and I hope you enjoy this fic too!

ToMaedhros: Thank you so much! You were the first person to review! You're totally awesome! I hope you like this too!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I'm not that talented.

* * *

Stealth: Or Lack Thereof

* * *

The Bet: Ante Up

The mid-morning sun beat steadily down upon the deck, empty now save for the man stretched out in the long shadow of the mast.

Zoro sighed, feeling very content. He always felt this way after his workouts. Even when he still had so much left to accomplish, he could rest knowing that he was that much closer.

Basking in the momentary silence, he scratched absently at his stomach before allowing himself to sink further towards sleep. It was a rare moment indeed when there wasn't at least one fellow crewmember ranting about something.

Sanji was still in the kitchen, cleaning up the constant mess their captain provided.

Usopp was somewhere below deck, crossing chemicals he probably... no, scratch that... _definitely_ shouldn't be. It had to be some sort of miracle that he had not blown himself, or a good portion of the ship up yet.

Nami had yet to emerge from her room, but that was normal, because she usually didn't make her first appearance of the day until eleven-ish. And right now it was... judging from the sun's position, about nine thirty, ten o'clock.

And Luffy... Well, Luffy was _also_ in the kitchen, busy making that previously mentioned mess for the resident chef to pick up.

Zoro estimated he had about, oh... five minutes, before the love cook had finally had it and tossed the boy out.

He was startled from his thoughts by the sound of a door opening. 'Guess Sanji's less tolerant than I thought.' He mused idly, waiting for the stubborn whining that normally accompanied Luffy's ejection from the cabin.

When the door had closed without any further protest, the green-haired young man frowned in suspicion, mind alert as he listened intently. Could that have been another door? No, he had very acute hearing, and he relied heavily on his ears; especially when he spent most of the day with his eyes closed. He was seldom wrong... _very_ seldom.

_Creak... Crack... Groan... Crick... Creak... Creak... _

Giggle...

_Groan... Crick... _

A gasp... Scuffling steps... A frantic squeak... **WHUMP!**

Silence...

"...Luffy, what the _hell_ are you doing?"

The captain looked over at Zoro from where he had fallen. "Ow..." Rubbing his hip, the boy pushed himself to a sitting position. "I was sneaking up on you!" He supplied, his pout growing into his usual smile as he quickly recovered

Zoro snorted, shifting upright as well. "You call _that_ sneaking?" He met Luffy's gaze, cocking a skeptical eyebrow at him.

The boy blinked before nodding energetically. "Yup!" He moved from his cross-legged position into a crouch, crawling (in what was probably _supposed_ to be a stealthy manner) towards the swordsman.

Fighting back a smirk, the first mate watched silently as the boy crept towards him. The captain was _trying_ to be covert... and failing miserably. He kept tangling on himself, something Zoro hadn't known to be possible.

But then again... This was Luffy.

Someone both as lanky and uncoordinated as his captain had to be _extremely_ clever to make up for their lack of physical prowess.

When the boy had all but fallen flat on his face, Zoro allowed himself a short laugh. "You're about as sneaky as you are buoyant."

"Buoyant?" Luffy gave him a blank look, lifting himself from the floor again.

A smirk. "When you're buoyant it means you float well." Zoro snickered, propping an arm on his raised knee as he waited for the boy's reaction.

The rubber-man paused, obviously thinking this over. "But I _can't_ float." His brow creased slightly as he frowned in confusion.

The swordsman's mouth widened into a devious grin. "Exactly."

A determined expression settled over the boy's face as he sat, contemplating this new information. Luffy raised a finger, opening his mouth to speak as if he had sorted everything out. "Ah-" But he stopped, hand dropping to his lap, once again deliberating.

Zoro looked on in amusement. He could practically hear the thoughts churning in Luffy's head.

Scratching his chin, the captain let out a couple of 'hmm's as he remained hunched over in consideration. He straightened again, looking victorious, "I..." He paused. "No, wait..." But was soon back to his calculations, turning Zoro's words over in his mind.

The swordsman waited... and waited... until finally, a look of annoyed realization dawned on Luffy's face. 'Bingo.' He thought, his grin spreading.

"Hey!" The boy shouted, jabbing an accusing finger in Zoro's direction. "I am _to_ sneaky!"

Chuckling, the green haired young man shook his head calmly. "No, you're not."

Luffy pouted. "Am to!"

"Are not." Zoro stated simply, his interest ebbing.

"Am to!"

"Are not!" Was he really stooping to such childish behavior?

"Am _to!_" Luffy insisted stubbornly.

"Fine!" Zoro shifted, leaning towards the boy. He had the perfect way to solve this little conflict. "Prove it."

The captain stared back, clueless. "Prove it?" He wondered aloud.

Giving a curt nod, the swordsman leered at him. "Yeah. If you're as stealthy as you say you are, then it should be easy for you to sneak up on me."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Luffy huffed. "Fine! No problem." He conceded, meeting the challenge in his first mate's eyes.

Zoro sat back, eyeing the boy doubtfully. "Alright, you've got until noon to catch me off guard. You need to stand right next to me, and touch my shoulder." He instructed, before adding a warning. "_No_ stretching. Your _whole body _needs to be right here." Prodding the deck next to him, he adressed the boy again. "Deal?"

Luffy watched as the swordsman offered his hand, eyeing him warily. But then he moved, twisting to fully face his companion. "Deal."

Zoro smirked in satisfaction, reclining back against the mast again. "Your time starts now."

Luffy beamed, scrambling halfway to his feet before halting, and dropping to the floor again, turning his focus to his first mate. "Wait, what are we betting _for_?"

Blinking, Zoro debated silently, caught slightly off guard by the question. "Good question." Turning his gaze on the smaller pirate, he weighed his options. What could he ask of his captain? 'I guess I should go easy on him, he'll be depressed enough as it is when he loses.'

"When I win," Luffy began, his tone boasting. "You have to do _whatever_ I want for the rest of the day!" Then he nodded enthusiastically, nearly jostling the straw hat on his head into falling off.

Zoro quirked an eyebrow at the boy's glaring overconfidence. Well, so much for going easy... "And when _I_ win, you can't eat for the rest of the day. _Not a crumb_." Was he being cruel? Yes. Did the boy deserve it? Probably not. Was he enjoying himself? Absolutely.

The look Luffy turned his way was one of complete and utter horror. "_No food_?" He gasped, voice barely above a whisper in his distress.

"Until midnight." Zoro added, closing his eyes as if he intended to go to sleep. As an afterthought, Zoro's mouth curved into another smirk. His expression was menacing as he lifted one eyelid, pinning the boy with his stare. "Or if you're too scared, there's always time to back out."

The captain's face darkened at the swordsman's accusation.

"I'll even cut you a break. Chicken out now, and I'll only make you skip lunch."

'I'm no chicken.' Luffy fumed internally. Leaping to his feet, the boy frowned down at Zoro. "Forget it." Quickly regaining his smile, he laughed out loud. "I wonder if Nami would let you borrow one of her skirts... when you become my slave."

Zoro's eyebrow twitched, and his shoulders visibly tensed. After a moment of irritated silence he shook himself loose and closed his eyes again, speaking with a definite finality.. "The clock's ticking."

* * *

There you go! First chapter done! Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and please review!

Next Time: Luffy begins his assault. Just how creative can he get? Will the odds turn in his favor when he drags both Usopp _and_ Sanji into the fray?


	2. The Bet: Reinforcements?

Hey there! Sorry, this took way too long. I promise that the next chapter will be up much faster, and we'll actually have some sneaking going on... So I'll get right to the point!

Thank you to all those who reviewed! I don't think any of my fics have had that strong of a response right off the bat! You guys rock!

To zoroluver003: I hope you'll think it's interesting! I'm still debating whether or not to put Zoro in a skirt... that would be so cruel...Thanks for the review!

To tori007otaku: Sorry, this took a REALLY long time... I had work to deal with and then a couple days of writers block... But I'm all better now, and I've got the rest of the fic pretty much mapped out! Thanks for the comments!

To Griever5: I hope you'll think it's fun! Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

To Sofia: Hehehe, there seems to be more people rooting for Luffy than Zoro... We'll just have to wait and see! Thanks for the review!

To The Plushie Bandit: I _am_ back! And I know, I feel bad too... That's another person backing up Luffy! Poor Zoro, everyone's turned against him! But look at him just sitting there all day! Not even the least bit concerned with Luffy... He's too cocky... Maybe I'll have to knock him down a peg... hehehe, but that's not a hint for how this'll end! Oh no, not at all! Mwahahaha... Thank you for the comments!

To dichana: Me too! I've got a bunch more I want to write, and they're all ZoLu! I just adore this pairing! Why can't I have a Zoro? I've actually got several more multichapter fics I'm just dying to start, but I'm afraid that if I start more than one I'd get confused... And we have _another_ person backing Luffy! I'm so glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

To KuroKame: I'm sorry! Here it is! And I'll be sure to get the next one up ASAP! I've found, in my years of sneaking up on my siblings, that I can be very quiet when I want to be, but I have trouble balancing when I'm just walking in a straight line, so I have to be careful. Hehehe... Thanks for the review!

I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own it! Just the plot idea.

* * *

The Bet: Reinforcements?

Luffy paced irritably over the deck, pulling his straw hat further down on his head in frustration.

Nothing had worked so far. _Nothing_. At_ all_.

The captain of the Going Merry turned, leaning over the ship's railing and drumming his fingertips impatiently on the rough surface. "No fair..." He whined, huffing loudly.

He had tried everything: Stealing, crawling, slinking, creeping, tiptoeing, sneaking, skulking... Moving stealthily in general just wasn't cutting it.

Having realized this fact earlier, he had even tried simply walking casually up to Zoro, hoping that his first mate might mistake him for someone else.

No such luck.

The swordsman seemed to possess the ability to easily detect him. Whether it was something in the sound of his footsteps, or merely the boy's presence, it was _really _screwing up the captain's efforts to win the bet.

"What am I supposed to _do?_" Luffy groaned again, slumping dramatically to the floor where he flopped onto his back, glaring up at the clear sky as if it was withholding a solution from him.

"What's the matter, Luffy?"

Recognizing Usopp's voice, the smaller pirate blinked as the marksman stopped beside him, casting the rubber-man's head and neck in shadow. "Zoro."

A startled pause. "Zoro?" He repeated, his tone questioning. "What about Zoro?"

"I can't sneak up on him." Luffy gave an exaggerated sigh, pulling himself into a sitting position as the sharpshooter dropped down in front of him.

Usopp shot him a strange look. "And you would want to do that because...?"

"The Bet." The captain fiddled briefly with his hat, his reply short and casual as if it were a completely natural thing to say.

Opening his mouth to speak, the sniper stopped and sighed, apparently thinking better of it. "Care to explain?" He ventured, interest peaked at the mention of a wager.

Unfortunately for Usopp, Luffy's version of an explanation was a series of rapid-fire sentences: most of which had little or no relevance to the one that had come previously.

_Fortunately for Usopp, he happened to be a fairly intelligent person, and had managed to pick out a couple of key phrases, piecing them together in what he hoped was the correct conclusion._

"So... Let me see if I have this right..." The sharpshooter began slowly, almost cautious in his approach. "When Sanji kicked you out of the kitchen, you, for some strange reason, felt like sneaking up on Zoro..."

Why someone would ever even _consider_ startling someone who wielded three long swords (and an equally large temper) was beyond Usopp.

The rubber-man nodded vigorously to show his crewmate that he was on the right track.

"...But when you tried, he caught you..."

Another nod; this time accompanied by a pout and a low, depressed moan.

"...And then you two got in an argument about whether you could actually _be_ sneaky or not..." The marksman paused, still sorting things out.

But Luffy, being the terribly impatient person he is, decided to finish for him. "So we made a bet so I could prove that I _am_ stealthy and now I've only got 'til noon to sneak up on Zoro but every time I try he catches me and I've tried everything but if I lose I can't eat for the rest of the day but that can't happen so what am I gonna _DO?_"

Staring at the now panting boy, Usopp felt out of breath just listening to him. "Well, it's a good thing that I'm such an expert in the field of espionage." He stood, puffing himself up.

The captain gave him a bored look. "I don't care about espo... espan... expa... _whatever_ it is you just said." He gestured frantically, his expression turning to one of desperation. "I need to figure out a way to stay undetected!"

The sharpshooter sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking. "Being a master of _espionage_," He pronounced the word carefully for Luffy's benefit. "Means that I just happen to be a world renowned spy."

The captain was halfway through a mumbled statement about 'stupid ess-pee-oh-na-juh' when he finally processed Usopp's newest fib. "Wha-?" He seemed to have lost his voice, overcome with wonder and awe. "Really?"

Striking a heroic pose, the liar let himself slip into the boastful tone he reserved solely for his tall tales. He nodded proudly. "I'm known as The Great Captain Usopp: Bubblegum Bandit!"

"Bubblegum Bandit?" The rubber-man questioned, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"_The_ Bubblegum Bandit." The sharpshooter squatted down beside the captain again, looking warily over his shoulder as if he were about to divulge a huge secret. "I'm so subtle that I'm like the chewed gum you get stuck to the bottom of your shoe. You never notice me until it's too late."

Digesting this with wide, amazed eyes, Luffy nodded. Almost as an afterthought, he twisted until he could see the bottoms of his sandals.

Sure enough, there was a disgusting wad of used bubblegum firmly glued to the underside of his right shoe.

'Well, isn't that convenient...' Usopp thought, smirking in satisfaction. "See?"

Lifting his face again, the captain laughed. "Wow! You really _are_ sneaky!"

"Of course!" The sniper sniffed in offense. "I once broke into a heavily guarded naval base! _Alone! _There I was, standing in-"

"Can you help me?" Luffy interrupted, giving his crewmember a pleading look.

Although slightly disgruntled over being cut short, Usopp turned, tapping one finger on his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Well, I supposed I could bestow my vast knowledge upon y-"

"Great! Let's go!" Leaping to his feet, Luffy grabbed _The Bubblegum Bandit_ by the wrist and dragged him into the kitchen.

* * *

"...And here we have plan C. I like to call it 'Operation Mole Hole'" Usopp held up a crude depiction of a stick-person digging a tunnel beneath what looked like the deck of the Going Merry. 

After Luffy had released the sniper long enough to find some paper and a pen, the boy had quickly whipped up several complex strategies to sneak up on Zoro.

Leaning over the kitchen table, Luffy appraised the most recent diagram. "Operation Mole Hole." He repeated. "That sounds like fun!"

"These plans may _sound_ fun, Luffy." Began the liar. "But they all require a lot of skill, and hard work." Ussop produced a fourth page of scribbles. "And this is my final idea. The best one yet if I do say so myself." He pointed out various details as he explained. "Operation Bonzai! We attack from above!" He concluded spectacularly, brandishing his marker like a weapon.

"Or..." Sanji's voice sounded from behind them, startling both boys as the cook approached from the sink. "... You could try something that would actually _work_."

"Hey!" Cried the marksman, noticeably insulted. "These tactics are foolproof!"

The chef snorted. "Hardly."

Thrusting his pen at the blonde, Ussop frowned. "Alright, then what would _you_ suggest? If you're so smart."

"Well, you're ideas aren't bad, but they're far too extravagant." The cook supplied easily taking the offered pen. Pulling the cap off of the marker with his teeth, he bent over to address the drawings spread on the tabletop. "The basic principals are there..."

Nodding slightly, the sniper appeared to be considering his advice. "So you're saying if we tone it down..."

Throughout all of this, both members of the Straw Hat crew failed to notice the absence of their captain.

Luffy, having grown bored with their chatter, had moved to the one of the windows. Peering carefully through the glass, he could see his first mate, still looking smug, even in sleep. 'Does he really think that little of my sneaky-ness?' He pondered.

"Just you wait..." He muttered fondly, a smile gracing his features. "Now that I have Sanji and Usopp on my side, you are _so_ going down."

* * *

And there you have it! Hope you like it! Please review! I love to hear from you guys. Don't ask where the Bubblegum Bandit thing came from, because I have no freaking idea... It had a ring to it... Anyway, I'll get the next one up ASAP! Thanks again for reading, you're all wonderful! 

Next Time: So Luffy's pulling out the big guns, is he? We'll just have to see what they come up with! Wait... What's that in the sky? A bird? A plane? Find out next chapter!


	3. The Bet: The Ship Bites Back

Wow! You guys rock! Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad to hear that you guys like it so far! I do have a question though...

Would people rather see this fic remain fluffy friendship type stuff? Or would you like it to become slightly more romance oriented? Because I have a freaking hilarious idea, but it can only work if it's a romance. If not, I'll just have to make a seperate fic out of it...

And as a sidenote- Luffy seems to have gathered quite a lot of supporters! I find that so funny! I didn't even consider people taking sides!

To my reviewers:

To KuroKame: You're one of the few rooting for him. hehehe. Luffy's got quite the following. But I'm with you! Crossdressing Zoro would be _quite_ amusing... I'm glad you like that name! hehehe Thanks for the review!

To Griever5: I know! Isn't that strange? But irritating Zoro is definitely why he's helping. Oh ho ho! You'll just have to read and find out! Mwahahaha... I'm glad your enjoying it! Thanks for the review!

To tori007otaku: Glad you like it! Hehehe, hope you like this one too! Thanks for the comment!

To Sofia: Hehehe, glad you like it! Yeah, they have been pretty short so far, but this chapter is more than twice as long, so enjoy! Thanks for the review!

To The Plushie Bandit: Ahhhh! It's you, it's you, it's you! I _LOVE_ your FMA story, Between Dreams and Reality! A masterpiece! Pure genius! Freaking amazing! Anyway, I was reading through your profile a bit, and I agree. Jin (from Samurai Champloo) is indeed hot! You know, your name is probably partly where I got it from! I didn't want to come up with something corny, names that actually sound stealthy are way overdone in my opinion. That, and they definitely don't suit Usopp. hehehe. Yeah! Break out the signs and banners! Hahaha, glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

To zoroluver003: Well thank you! Glad you like it! Hehehe, thanks for the comments!

To Okami1: Mwahahahaha... Dirty thoughts... me too actually, but that's another story... Glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

To The BirdFox Hybrid Productions: THANK YOU! Hehehe, glad you like it! Thanks for the comment!

To Lenna Hunter: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for the review!

To Digital Dreamer: Wow! You're reviewing another one of my stories? You're so awesome! I'm glad you like it so far! Hehehe. Anyway let me just tell you how much I enjoyed chapter 23 of you fic... It was wonderfully touching! Thanks again for the review!

I hope I didn't miss anybody! But anyway, on to the fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece!

* * *

The Bet: The Ship Bites Back

Sanji had just grudgingly informed Zoro that it was now ten-thirty.

The swordsman yawned loudly, glancing casually around the deck.

Luffy had spent the last half an hour trying to sneak up him, relying solely on his own stealth. And knowing that the boy's ability to be secretive is.. well, let's be honest here... completely nonexistent, he had yet to come within five yards of Zoro.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Twice he had managed to get a little closer, but that was only because he'd had help.

The first instance had been partially the love cook's fault. Luffy must have asked the chef to distract his first mate while he crept up behind him. That may have worked, if only the blonde's eyes hadn't kept shifting to look over Zoro's shoulder.

The second time had just been pathetic, and the green-haired young man had actually burst out laughing at his captain.

His companion had employed Usopp as a shield, and had hidden behind the sharpshooter as the boy had approached Zoro.

There were two details that had lead to plan B's downfall.

One: Usopp could not have looked more suspicious, with his stiff posture and anxious expression.

Two: Luffy's straw hat had been _clearly_ visible behind the marksman; its brim protruding past either side of the notorious liar's head.

Surveying the area now, Zoro guessed that the boy had either given up, or had decided to try and come up with a _real _strategy. He snorted. 'Oh, yeah. Luffy's grand master plan. Right.'

Did Luffy even know what a strategy _was? _The great majority of the time the captain just rushed headlong into battle, without a moments hesitation; rubber fists flying.

The first mate frowned, remembering how his pulse raced each time he watched his friend charge fearlessly onward, often towards what seemed like glaring impossibility. One of these days he knew he'd have a heart attack.

Pushing the questions out of his mind, he smirked. He knew Luffy, and Luffy did _not_ give up. His captain was out there somewhere, plotting as best he knew how.

Wiping at the fine sheen of sweat that had beaded on his forehead, Zoro debated moving to find a more comfortable spot. The sun had shifted, taking almost all of his shade with it.

Just as he was about to push himself to his feet, the swordsman noticed a new shadow on the deck, situated between his outstretched legs. He stared, watching as the silhouette grew and took shape.

"What the hell is that?" He mumbled to himself. "It looks like a..."

Two seconds before it was too late, Zoro recognized the form the new shade was taking. Cussing loudly, he rolled, throwing himself to the side as Luffy landed, with a violent crash, in the place he had just abandoned. "LUFFY! What the hell are you trying to do? _Kill_ me?"

Prying his body from the now-cracked floorboards, the smaller pirate sprang to a standing position. "You weren't supposed to move!" He accused loudly, arms flailing wildly in emphasis. "That wasn't part of the plan!"

The first mate blinked in surprise. 'Plan?' But he shook it off, returning his attention to his companion.

"You know," Zoro began, ignoring the boy's indignant outrage. "If you _crush_ me, I certainly won't make a good slave." Then he turned his face upwards, his focus settling on the crow's nest. "And what did I tell you about stretching? We agreed it was against the rules."

"I didn't stretch!" Luffy replied defensively, looking almost proud of himself. "I jumped!"

Eyes widening, Zoro looked up again to gauge the distance between the top of the mast and the deck. He scowled, but there was an obvious edge of concern in his voice. "You idiot! What were you _thinking?_" Standing, he brushed himself off. "You could've hurt yourself!"

Luffy shrank under the intensity of Zoro's anger. He hadn't thought of it that way...

"You're _rubber_. You're not indestructible." The swordsman continued, moving closer to scour his captain for any sign of injury. He checked from head to toe and back again, suddenly pausing on the boy's right arm. "And you're bleeding."

Hearing this, Luffy was visibly startled. "What? Where?" He frantically searched himself, letting out a gasp as he saw the deep red streaks running down his upper arm, pooling in the crook of his elbow.

In his panic, he clamped a hand over the source of the stain, yanking it back with a cry a moment later when the ache pulsed even stronger.

Zoro rushed over to aid his captain, but every time he reached for the injured limb, the boy would jerk away, howling about the pain. After another unsuccessful grab, the first mate was fed up. "Luffy! Stop thrashing! You're only making it worse!"

"I don't care!" The boy wailed, scrambling away from his comrade. "It'll hurt worse when you touch it!"

"I'm not going to touch it!" He shouted, trying to cut his captain off as he turned and dashed away again. "I just want to look at it! We have to figure out what's wrong!"

Luffy sniffled, side stepping his first mate's reach. "That's what they all say!" He yelled pitifully.

One more dodge and Zoro was done fooling around. "Fine. If you don't want help now, don't come crying to me later when it's gotten even worse." He stalked angrily away, crossing his arms and leaning back against the rail.

Seeing the swordsman ignoring him, Luffy deemed it safe to take a short rest. Finally halting, he looked down at his wound and the still free-flowing blood.

"Ouch..." He whimpered, his bottom lip trembling miserably. Suddenly sad and alone with the lack of Zoro's attention, the boy cradled his injured arm to his chest.

Having been discretely watching his captain, the older pirate saw his opening. Seizing his chance, Zoro tackled the boy carefully around the waist. Not hard enough to knock him over, but quickly enough to throw the boy, still motionless from shock, over his back.

Feeling his first mate's shoulder settle into his stomach, the rubber-man was instantly on the move, struggling to free himself. "Traitor!" He accused, writhing against his friend's hold.

The swordsman rolled his eyes, but instead of responding, turned his head and called to Sanji and Usopp, who had been drawn from their business by the previous racket.

"Usopp, go find some bandages. Sanji, go wake up your precious _Nami-san _and see if she has any tweezers."

The marksman was gone without a word, but the cook opened his mouth to protest; probably about the their navigator needing her beauty sleep.

"Just do it!" Zoro ordered, and he turned, moving to march through the kitchen door.

Normally Sanji wouldn't even have considered following the first mate's request. But as Luffy braced his arms in the doorway, fighting to wedge himself away from Zoro, he noticed the blood on the boy's skin.

Obviously the captain was in some sort of distress, and so he reluctantly obeyed, psyching himself up to pull Nami from her slumber... early. 'I hope she doesn't hit me too hard...'

* * *

"I told you you'd hurt yourself." 

Luffy pouted back over his shoulder at Zoro, huffing dejectedly. His first mate had him pinned against the kitchen counter, bent over the sink as the crew surveyed the damage done to his arm.

"That's what I figured you'd have." The swordsman muttered, looking at the six or so large splinters that had been revealed once they had washed away most of the blood.

The boy's whining had died down to a sorrowful whimper, and he had ceased fighting under the weight of Zoro on his back.

After scolding him, Nami had shuddered at the sight of the jagged wood stuck in the captain's skin, and had relinquished her tweezers to leave the room.

"You know, Luffy. If we had just gone with my original version of Operation Bonzai, this probably wouldn't have happened." Usopp, who was now perched on the kitchen table, nodded to himself.

Zoro's eyes widened momentarily before he directed his wrath at the marksman. "So it's _your_ fault he did this to himself?" He ground out, furious.

With a strange squeak, the sharpshooter scuttled backwards, putting the table between himself and the now fuming swordsman.

"I didn't _make_ him do it!" Usopp exclaimed, striving to escape that angry glower. "It was more of a... strong suggestion." He added meekly, ducking behind the tabletop.

Whatever the first mate was about to say next eased into an irate growl.

Shrinking further in the opposite direction, Usopp thrust one finger at the cook. "He helped!" He cried frantically, desperate to redirect Zoro's rage.

The swordsman's livid gaze settled on the blonde.

Ignoring the eyes he knew were burning holes in the back of his head, Sanji turned a glare on the sniper.

"Because shooting him out of one of _your_ cannons, let alone _any _cannon, is such a great idea." He quipped sarcastically, remembering how the drawings had called for the construction of a large catapult/slingshot contraption. "_I_ told you to keep the bodily harm to a minimum. Nice job, genius."

The chef, who now held the tweezers in his hand, irritably pinched the utensil between his thumb and forefinger, producing a rapid clicking noise that had Luffy squirming in discomfort.

Just as the liar opened his mouth to argue, Zoro scowled. "Can it. You two can bicker later." He reached around his captain, tightening his hold. "We need to take care of his arm."

As the swordsman had anticipated, when the boy heard this, he began thrashing with renewed energy. Being careful of the broken skin of his arm, Zoro grappled with the rubber-man for a good three minutes until he was able to safely trap him again.

Their scuffle had landed Luffy pressed firmly against his first mate's broad chest, his back flush with the counter behind him.

The hand of his wounded arm was now laced with Zoro's own, keeping his limb extended and allowing access to the damage.

Zoro shifted carefully on his free leg, the other currently tangled around one of Luffy's, taking away the boy's leverage. "Hold still." He ordered gruffly, winding one arm securely about his captain's back.

"You're always tossing your knives around, and you haven't lost a finger yet, so you've probably got the steadiest hands." Now addressing the love cook, the swordsman jerked his head at the boy in his arms. "Get it over with, Sanji. Hurry it up."

Rolling up his sleeves, the aforementioned chef gingerly clasped Luffy's elbow. "Yeah, yeah." He muttered, pausing as the boy tensed noticeably. "Here we go."

Zoro suddenly found a lanky arm cinched around his own waist, his captain's free hand clenched against his back.

The smaller pirate hid his face in the hollow of his first mate's neck, resigning himself to his fate.

Relieved that Luffy had finally relented, Zoro let his thumb stroke across the back of the boy's hand, attempting to soothe him. 'Is this how you comfort someone?' He wondered briefly.

"You're alright." He murmured clumsily, his voice barely a whisper.

The small body against his jerked as the first wooden shard was removed, and the swordsman felt the boy's breath hitch against his collarbone. Feeling fingertips digging at the muscles of his back, he pulled the boy closer.

As each sliver was removed, Luffy's hand would reflexively clench around his, and Zoro found himself squeezing steadily back.

Sanji dropped the third-to-last splinter into the waste basket that Usopp had produced. Turning to the next one, he hissed as it pulled stubbornly at the boy's skin, only breaking free when he gave it a reluctant tug.

A sharp cry sounded from the captain.

Feeling tears gather behind his eyes, the rubber-man was intensely grateful when he felt his first mate tighten his inadvertent embrace.

Zoro was mumbling something to him... something Luffy couldn't quite make out, but he was instantly calmed by the low tone that rumbled through the man's chest.

"Sorry." The cook spoke, gently patting his arm in encouragement. "Last one."

The pain of each removal had become progressively worse, and the final sliver did not break the trend.

Pressing his face deeper into Zoro's shoulder, Luffy bit back another pained whimper as the final piece was drawn from his arm.

"There." With a damp rag, Sanji wiped away the blood that was beading from the now cleared wounds.

Holding a dry cloth over the boy's broken skin, he pulled the captain's hand from Zoro's firm grip and placed it over the compress. "Hold that there." He directed quietly, straightening the cuffs of his black coat as he moved away. "The bleeding will stop soon."

Stepping back, Zoro rewarded Luffy with an awkward pat on the back. "Good job." He offered, releasing his captain with almost reluctant hesitance. "That wasn't so bad no-"

The smaller boy met his eyes for an instant, his expression plagued by something beyond the physical pain of his injury, before bolting from the room.

Staring after his friend's abrupt exit, the swordsman was at a loss for words. Something the cook never seemed to lack.

"You know," Sanji began, speaking around a freshly lit cigarette. "Someone still has to bandage his arm."

"And clean his cuts." Usopp added, summoning the courage to invite Zoro's attention. He thrust a bottle of disinfectant at the first mate, the cap pinched between two fingers as if to minimize the contact. 'That stuff stings...' The marksman shuddered slightly at the memory.

Looking between the expectant faces of his two crewmates, the green haired young man sighed in defeat. Snatching the proffered antiseptic, Zoro ignored their knowing grins.

"Fine." He grumped, stomping from the kitchen. "I'll do it."

* * *

Zoro found his captain huddled on one of the couches in the men's quarters, curled protectively around his injured arm.. 

"Luffy..." Quietly entering the room, he saw the boy start at the sound of his voice. "You shouldn't have run off like that. Your arm still needs to be cleaned and wrapped."

The smaller pirate watched cautiously as his first mate approached, coiling into a tight ball. He whined, his voice wavering with his unease. "Sanji's not gonna do it, is he?" Pausing, he scooted over to make room for the swordsman. "His hands are cold."

Soft, fond laughter echoed through the room.

"Don't worry, I'm going to do it." Zoro replied, dropping down beside the boy and tousling his hat. "You can even check my hands first." He offered jokingly.

Not catching the jest, Luffy promptly took him by the wrists, pressing the green haired young man's palms to both of his cheeks.

Dazed, Zoro's stunned eyes met his captain's innocent ones, rendering him speechless.

The rubber-man hummed lightly, a smile spreading across his features. "Your hands are nice and warm..." The boy praised, nodding in approval before his face contorted slightly. "But rough." He added, pulling away to inspect his comrade's fingers.

Swallowing his initial shock, the swordsman forced himself to speak as the boy's gaze dropped to his hands, his expression scrutinizing. "Um... Well, it's from training all these years."

"Training..." Luffy mumbled, fingertips tracing the lines in his friend's palm. "Well, I like your hands!" He spouted energetically, sandwiching Zoro's left hand between both of his, comparing them.

"You... like them?" He questioned, raising a skeptical eyebrow at his captain.

"Yeah!" The boy exclaimed, inching backwards to give himself room. "They're all tough and strong, like the rest of you!" He paused and gave his first mate a look of admiration.

"They're... They're all... I dunno, they're just all... _Grrr!_" Letting his speech regress into an animalistic growl, Luffy flexed his slender arms in demonstration.

The swordsman snorted, baffled by his captain's behavior. "Grr?" He repeated, glancing sideways at the still posing boy.

Noticing the broken skin on the boy's left arm, Zoro realized that the rubber-man had managed to completely distract him. 'That little...'

"Hey, why did you run out earlier anyway?" He spoke, hoping to catch his companion off guard.

Freezing halfway into his next flaunting stance, Luffy turned guiltily away, instantly sobered by the change in subject. "I didn't want anyone to see me cry..." He grumbled, fidgeting anxiously.

'That's it?' The first mate thought, once again taken aback. '_That's_ why he rushed out?'

"Now look who's trying to be tough." His response came only after he had hooked two fingers in the collar of the boy's shirt.

With a quick tug, he had Luffy sprawled between his legs, pinned within them as Zoro locked his ankles together.

Pulling the bottle of antiseptic from where he had hidden it, he drew a cotton ball from the small stash in his pocket and soaked it in the foul liquid. Before his captive had a chance to recognize the sterile odor of the disinfectant, he dabbed at two of his six wounds.

"Ow!" Cringing, the smaller boy attempted to squirm away. "Hey! That hurts! You could've warned me!"

The swordsman frowned as his captain continued to fight him. "If I had warned you, you would have been long gone by now." He defended easily, taking hold of the boy's wrist when he refused to stay still. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way."

Quickly dragging his friend near enough to reach his damaged arm, Zoro drained the entire bottle of antiseptic over his beaten skin.

Hearing the boy's now anguished cries, the first mate had to admit that he understood the boy's distress. That stuff really hurt when you applied such a large amount.

He had just managed to get the young pirate's arm bandaged before Luffy finally wrenched himself away, fleeing to the other end of the couch.

Observing his captain's quivering frame, Zoro sighed in regret.

"Sorry, but you didn't make that easy for me." Excusing himself, he sank into the cushions, relaxing for a moment before he heard a sniffle. His eyes flew to his comrade again.

"Are you crying?" He asked, a bit louder than he had meant to. There was nothing worse than seeing his captain so sad or in so much pain.

Flinching at his crewmember's harsh tone, Luffy hid his face in his arms and shook his head wordlessly, his back still turned.

"If you're going to cry, get your ass over here."

It was a direct order. One that, even though he was the captain, and Zoro seemed angry, Luffy felt compelled to follow. Slowly, the younger of the two crawled towards his first mate.

Suddenly feeling very impatient, the swordsman reached over and hauled the boy into his lap, settling his arms awkwardly around his friend.

Completely startled, the rubber-man tensed, before realizing that this wasn't another attempt to fuss with his injury.

Zoro was holding him just for the heck of it... embracing him.

Smiling to himself when he felt his captain lean heavily against his chest, Zoro knocked the straw hat off of his head to ruffle the boy's unruly hair. "Is this alright?" He wondered aloud, not fully expecting an answer.

Moving to return the squeeze, Luffy halted for a moment. "Hm?"

"Is this... right?" Struggling visibly, Zoro scrambled to find the correct phrase. "Does this... make you feel better?" For a few seconds there was no reply, and the swordsman shifted restlessly. 'Is this not how you comfort someone?'

His worries were brushed aside when his reply came in the form of a simple nod, the boy's head nestled comfortably beneath his chin.

Luffy inched into another position, seating himself neatly against his first mate when he felt the firm hands on his back invite him closer.

The moment stretched on, the room silent save for the subtle breaths of the two who remained cradled against each other.

Zoro was the first to reluctantly interrupt the calm, cursing his legs and the tingle that signaled their lack of blood flow.

"You know, by now you've probably got about an hour left."

There was a brief pause, a gentle nudge, and Luffy found his hat returned to his head.

"Oh yeah..."

And once again, Zoro's captain was off like a shot.

* * *

There it is! Third chapter down. Anyway, I know some of you might be thinking "what's the big deal about a couple slivers?" But you know what? They freakin hurt, man! (shudders) I hate those! And the splinters I imagined Luffy having are fairly large... Whatever! 

Thanks again to those who reviewed! And thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave a review!

Next Time: Luffy's not off to a great start. Will his next idea give him the advantage? Or will he go a little... overboard...?


	4. The Bet: A Barrel of Something

Hey there! Sorry it's been so long... School hit me so hard I might as well have run full-tilt into the back of a parked school bus (wouldn't _that_ be ironic...). And here I am all ready to update _last_ night, and my friggin mouse dies! (the computer mouse) So I threw a total fit about mice breaking at 11:30pm, because the stores that are open that late _certainly_ don't sell computer equipment...

Anyway, Let me say a few quick things and get on with the chapter!

First, I love you all! I'm thrilled with the response this has gotten so far! Thank you thank you thank you!

Second, this will turn into a romance!

And third...

Disclaimer: I don't own it!

Oh yeah, and to my reviewers...

To em182: What matters is that you review at all! Thanks a lot! And thorns... splinters, same difference. They're sharp, painful and they DON'T BELONG IN YOUR BODY! ...yuck... Anyway, thanks for the review!

To Griever5: Hehehe, I thought the unsure Zoro was funny. And yes, Luffy did jump from the crow's nest. How did he get up there in the first place I wonder... Another Luffy backer! Thanks for the review!

To KuroKame: And we have one Zoro supporter! Alright! And I know! Where the heck do they come from? I hate the ones when you know they're there, because you can feel the pain, but they're so small you can't see'em to pull them out! Eww... And about my idea for the romance... mwahaha... at least _I_ think it's funny... Thanks for the review!

To Alex M: Thanks! Glad you like it! Thanks for the comment!

To dichana: Glad you liked the comfort fluff! And yes! Nakama-ness abounds in chapter three! Needles I can stand. But needles anywhere but my upper arms... ewwwww... Hehehe, another Luffy backer! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the review!

To Ai cyke: Glad you're liking it so far! Thanks for the review!

To Yoru Hana: Yay for romance! Yeah, it's definitely heading there. I'm in a yaoi0ish mood after reading some new manga... Thanks for the review!

To The Plushie Bandit: I do? Thank you for saying that! I feel special now! Don't worry, I do that all the time. It will be a romance, don't worry! And man, I can't WAIT for you to update you fic! I am sooo anxious! Thanks for the review!

To Random Kyuubi: Hahaha, I'm glad that comment made someone laugh! I say grr all the time, personally... I'm only a little strange, promise... Hehe, it will be a romance, so don't worry! And thanks for the comments!

To Splash-Yaoiluv: I'm glad you feel that way! It's important to me that my plots seem plausible. Thanks for the review!

To Digital Dreamer: Really? It means a lot that you think that! Hehehe, I love making people squeal... through my stories that is...I'm glad you like it! I hope you enjoy this chapter too! Thanks for the review!

Alright, that's it! Hopeyou enjoy it!

* * *

The Bet: A Barrel of... Something

When Zoro next saw his captain, the boy had settled himself comfortably atop the bow of the ship, one hand clasped absently over his bandaged arm as he faced the ocean ahead.

The younger pirate didn't seem to notice his approach, and the first mate smirked to himself. It was after eleven, and just sitting there wasn't going to help the boy win his wager. 'Maybe I'll cut him a little slack and let him have dinner. Or a snack at least...'

After all, being trapped on a boat with a starving Luffy might turn out to be dangerous to one's health...

Not to mention sanity...

Zoro winced as he experienced yet another jaw-cracking yawn. The current bet had kept him from his early morning, mid morning, and late morning naps, and the swordsman was starting to feel the lack of sleep.

Starting as he heard someone exhale loudly behind him, Luffy craned around to see that his first mate had seated himself directly below him on the deck, head bowed and eyes closed.

Fuming, the captain swiveled fully on his perch to pout down at the green haired head of the older pirate. 'He's laughing at me!' He thought, completely insulted. 'He's sitting _right there_... _mocking_ me!'

Swiftly he stood, face set in determination, resolve quickly mounting, and leapt to the floor. 'I'll show him!'

He purposely landed with an exceptionally loud 'thump,' just to make sure his comrade heard him leaving. And as he marched away with deliberate steps, in a manner that demanded attention, he failed to notice the satisfied grin that spread over the swordsman's features.

'That got him.' Zoro mused.

Once safely at the other end of the ship, Luffy fisted his hands on the brim of his hat, tugging in frustration. "Think, Luffy! _Think! _You've _got_ to come up with something..."

He'd tried being stealthy on his own... That hadn't worked.

He'd tried using distractions... No dice.

He'd tried approaching from _all_ different directions... No luck.

The environment wasn't working with him at all.

But wait... what if _he_ worked with the _environment?_

Luffy wrung his hands together, snickering in a very alarming way, before dashing off. There had to be something in the storage room he could use.

What he needed... was a _disguise!_

* * *

Zoro had broken into quiet laughter as soon as his captain had left earshot. He'd really managed to irritate the boy that time. 

"Poor Luffy," He began, tucking his arms behind his head as he let his eyes fall closed again. "I hope he ate a lot for breakfast."

... Well... that really went without saying...

The first mate chuckled again, reclining further against the rail as he listened to the ocean. It had become quiet all of the sudden...

_Too quiet..._

_Suspiciously too quiet..._

The waves were breaking against the sides of the boat.

Seagulls were sounding from a spot atop the mast.

The sails were snapping erratically as the breeze filled them.

Every once in a while the ship itself would emit a low groan as it settled itself in a large swell.

But no voices...

Sanji and Usopp had wisely decided to make themselves scarce. Especially after their earlier plan had backfired. Nami had returned to her maps, and Luffy was off plotting.

'Well, I guess that accounts for everyone.' He shrugged off his sense of unease, yawning again as he fought to remain alert through his growing exhaustion.

_Scrape... _

Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle.

Zoro lifted his head, frowning as he glanced around the deck. What the hell had that been? There was still no one around, and the area was still empty, save for a barrel that someone had left beside the stairs. 'Was that there a minute ago?' He wondered briefly, unconcerned as his eyes drifted closed again.

_Scrape..._

Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle.

Sighing, the swordsman looked up again, fixing his gaze on the cask. It appeared slightly closer than it had been a moment earlier. He rubbed his temples, groaning almost inaudibly. 'You have _got_ to be joking...'

In an effort to confirm what he _thought_ was going on, and to make sure he wasn't finally going insane (which, after spending so much time with the other Straw Hats, was more or less inevitable), Zoro shut his eyes yet again. There were a few seconds of silence before...

_Scrape..._

Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle.

'Not yet.' The first mate advised himself, waiting the situation out a little bit more.

_Scra - shink._

Holding back a snort, the green haired pirate concluded that the barrel must have gotten stuck on a warped floorboard...

Scritch-thunk

Scritch-thunk

Scritch-thunk

... And wasn't having much luck freeing itself.

Discretely cracking one eye open, Zoro watched as the drum lifted just enough to clear the obstacle, before settling back down upon the deck. 'There you go.' He bit his lip to keep quiet. Holding his position, his face directed downward, the swordsman listened as the noise began again.

_Scrape..._

Shuffleshuffleshuffleshuffle.

_Scrape..._

_Shuffleshuffleshuffleshuffle._

As the barrel drew nearer, the sounds became more frantic, almost hurried.

Abruptly, the first mate straightened, pinning the large cask with a glare, and it dropped immediately to the deck, motionless. Finally letting himself smirk openly, he braced one foot against the barrel, which was now about only two feet away, and pushed.

Pressing the container back until he could no longer reach it, he let his leg drop, his expression expectant as he stared at an empty knot in the curved paneling.

After a few moments, there was a muffled noise from within the drum. A voice...

"Aw _man_..."

A very pitiful, disappointed, _Luffy_-like voice.

Snickering to himself, Zoro watched as the barrel rose again, swiveled around, and shuffled back the way it came.

As the cask traipsed its way towards the stairs leading to the lower deck, the older pirate had a sneaking suspicion that his captain had no idea that the floor was about to drop out from under him.

And sure enough, before the swordsman could utter a word of warning, the barrel went tumbling down the stairs. With a startled screech from the boy inside, the drum landed heavily on its side, rolling across the deck until it halted against the rail.

Halfway to his feet, ready to aid his friend, Zoro was relieved when all he heard was a low, keening whine.

The container began rocking, and after four consecutive tries, managed to right itself before settling in the middle of the deck.

The first mate broke into subdued laughter as he slumped back against the bow again, a fond smile playing across his lips.

Luffy, still hunched inside the barrel, grumbled to himself at the failure of yet another plan. "It's not fair... it's just not _fair!" _

He was still sulking two minutes later when the Going Merry suddenly lurched violently, tipping the cask onto its side once again. Now on a sharp incline, Luffy found himself, and the barrel he still occupied, pitched across the deck; colliding harshly with the railing before being tossed into the air.

"Uh oh..."

Zoro, who had been half asleep already, was thrown awake as the ship tilted. What brought him to his feet, however, was a loud crack and the splash that followed. "Damn it..."

Rushing to the port side of the ship, the swordsman leaned out over the water to have his fears confirmed. There in the ocean floated a very familiar barrel. He cursed; anger, frustration and worry making him tense. "_Damn _it!"

Sparing no time, the first mate lodged one foot on the rail, calling over his shoulder to summon the rest of the crew. Just as the boat was leveling off again, he heard the hurried voice of Sanji yelling about a rope.

With all of his strength, Zoro vaulted from the Going Merry, striving to reach the cask before he plunged into the churning water, where he would surely lose sight of it.

But luck was not on his side, and he just missed a large swell that, to his further agitation, carried the boy away from him.

'Hold on!' After getting his bearings amidst the waves, the first mate set off, powering through the ocean with a remarkable drive born solely from the desperate need to save his friend. 'Just hold on!'

It took him precious seconds to reach the barrel, and when he did, he felt relief surge through him. The drum was bobbing calmly between the waves, disarmingly serene.

"Luffy!" Paddling within an arms length of the cask, Zoro called out over the constant rushing of the sea. "_Luffy!_ Damn it, Luffy, quit fooling around!"

The swordsman grasped the open end of the container and wrestled it closer, all the while scolding his captain for getting himself tossed overboard. When there was no response, he rolled his eyes and peered into the makeshift vessel.

"Come on, Luffy-" But what he saw, or rather didn't see, made his heart clench in panic, the words caught in his throat.

The barrel was empty...

No straw hat...

No Luffy...

Nothing...

"Well? What's going on?"

Visibly startled, Zoro turned and looked up at Sanji, who was draped over the ship's rail, a coil of rope around his folded right arm. "He's not here!" He answered, his tone thick with anxiety.

The cook gaped down at him. "WHAT?"

"The barrel's empty!" The swordsman bellowed in return, searching frantically for any sign of the boy on the surface. Not waiting for the chef to reply, he dove underwater. The first mate bore down, forcing his body, which had been frozen from shock, into motion.

Was there any way he could reach Luffy now? How long had it been since the boy had fallen out of the barrel?

With every stroke, the sea grew darker, shadows closing around him as swiftly as the grave thoughts that plagued his mind.

'Where is he?'

How long could the boy hold his breath? Would he be able to reach him in time? Zoro urged his limbs to reach farther, to kick harder, to swim faster...

'Where _is_ he?'

Was it possible that he'd failed? Had he let his friend down? Saving Luffy had gradually changed from tedious obligation to an all-consuming need. The swordsman _needed_ to see that smiling face everyday...

'_Where is he_?'

Desperation was settling like lead in his veins, weighing him down, slowing his movements. His lungs were burning, protesting violently at the lack of oxygen. His mind refused to focus on the idea that his captain might be... no...

'_WHERE IS HE!_?'

Deeper... farther... faster... longer... harder... _closer!_

'Where- wait..._ there!_'

And suddenly there was no ocean. No fatigue, no pain, no fear. Just those two sandaled feet, and that bright red shirt, still vivid even in the dwindling light. The boy was curled into a tight ball, his hands clamped over his mouth and his eyes screwed shut.

What happened then, the first mate wasn't entirely sure of. One minute he was still fighting to gain on his captain's sinking body, and the next he was breaching the surface of the water with a strangled gasp; Luffy's tense, quaking form held securely against his side.

The rope wound around his wrist, pulling painfully at his drained muscles as he was lifted from the waves.

His free arm literally locked around the boy's waist.

Weightlessness.

Hands removing his companion from his grasp; prying his fingers, reluctant to release the younger pirate just yet, from their grip on his friend's shirt.

The hard, rough, yet oddly comforting surface of the ship's deck below him as he collapsed, energy spent, onto the floor.

Zoro's exhaustion made it too difficult to focus on anything in particular, and he only caught brief sensations as he and his captain had been hauled from the ocean. While what really concerned him at the moment was Luffy's well-being, his body was rebelling; not allowing him to summon the strength necessary to move to his friend's side.

"Zoro, he's not responding." Nami's voice wavered as she called to the first mate.

The swordsman's eyes widened at the navigator's statement, but even then he could only barely begin to move.

"Zoro?" Tone questioning, it was Usopp's words that held an edge of concern.

Finally responding, although not nearly as quickly as he would have liked, the green haired young man managed to lever himself to his elbows, fixing an unfocused gaze on the rest of the crew. "What do you mean '_not responding'_?"

Sanji was kneeling behind the marksman, and seemed to be holding his captain down, restraining him.

Nami, who looked somewhat distraught at the whole situation, climbed to her feet and dashed off without responding, muttering something about towels.

Arching an eyebrow at her abrupt exit, Zoro shifted his eyes to the chef. "Well?"

The blonde was frowning deeply, steadily pressing the shoulders of the rubber-man against the deck. "Physically Luffy seems no worse for wear, but he won't open his eyes, and he keeps mumbling to himself."

Slowly, almost experimentally, Sanji released the smaller pirate, who immediately curled in on himself again.

Zoro sluggishly forced himself to his knees, crawling towards the prone form of his captain as the chef continued to shake the unresponsive teen.

"Wake up, Luffy!" Getting more irritated each passing second, the cook braced one arm against the boy, raising his other hand palm open as if to strike the captain. "Wake _up!_"

There was a stumbling clatter, and Sanji found his wrist caught in an unforgiving grip; Zoro glaring at him with barely contained anger for his current state.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?"

Meeting the swordsman's fierce stare with one of his own, the blonde noted idly just how unsteady his crewmate looked, now up on his feet. He hadn't intended to hurt the boy, just to rouse him from whatever trance he was in.

Zoro's expression darkened the longer he faced off with the cook; his fingers tightening around the man's arm.

Usopp, who had been warily looking between the two, inched quietly backwards. "Um..." He laughed nervously, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the ship's cabin. "I think I'll go see what's taking those towels so long." That said, he bolted from the scene, headed for the safety of anywhere but the deck.

Tearing his focus from the first mate's livid face, Sanji watched the marksman leave. 'Sounds like a good idea to me.' He thought. "Let moss-head deal with the kid.'

Wrenching his hand free, the chef stood, straightening his coat as he turned away. He snorted dismissively. "I have to go make sure Nami's alright."

Growling under his breath, Zoro ignored the blonde's indifferent words. He settled at his captain's hip, rolling the quivering frame onto his back.

The smaller pirate was still shielding his face, knees pulled against his chest as he rambled incoherently into his hands.

"Luffy..." He murmured, worriedly greatly at how frightened the boy appeared. He seemed to be trapped in some sort of conscious nightmare... "Luffy, wake up..."

Leaning over his friend, he gradually straightened the boy's legs; pinning them in an outstretched position with his own weight at his straddled the boy's thighs.

"_Luffy!_" Coaxing the boy's hands away from his face, he pressed those too to the deck, bowing closer to his companion. The boy's eyes were wide and scared, his mouth constantly moving, spouting what sounded like complete nonsense. "Come on, man, wake up!"

"Zoro..."

Startled, the swordsman froze when he heard his name. Not a reply, but one of the boy's erratic whimpers.

Hesitantly, the first mate lowered himself further, his face barely a breath away from the rubber-man's. "I'm here." He offered, all thoughts of roughly jolting the boy awake lost. "You're all right, Luffy."

"Zoro..." The smaller boy's tension slowly eased, his rushed words ceasing.

Now able to release the boy, he lifted one hand to his captain's cheek, gently brushing away a drop of fluid resting at the corner of his right eye. Whether it was a tear or simply water, the swordsman couldn't tell. "It's me, Luffy. I'm right here."

Zoro's soft gesture caused more of a reaction than the earlier force, and suddenly the boy was jerking upwards, just barely avoiding a brutal collision with the jaw of his first mate. "_Zoro!_"

Instantly shifting, he supported his friend's body as he began to thrash. "Easy, Luffy! Easy!" At the sound of his deep voice, the boy seemed to calm considerably, blinking dazedly up at him. "It's just me."

"Oh, Zoro... It's you..." The younger pirate met his first mate's concerned gaze with a confused one. "Um... what happened?"

The green haired young man wanted to laugh... or cry... or smash his forehead against something hard. "You... you mean you don't remember?" Completely baffling... this boy was utterly perplexing.

"Huh?" Another stunned, blank look. "Remember what?"

"You fell overboard... again!" The swordsman exclaimed, gesturing vaguely with one hand. "You were in the barrel..." He prompted. "And the boat tipped and you were tossed over the rail?"

Scratching his head absently, Luffy, still beneath his first mate, suddenly gasped. "Oh, yeah!"

Zoro drooped heavily over his friend, sighing. 'That's all he has to say?' He collapsed onto his elbows again, his head falling alongside his captain's as he laughed in amazement. "You're going to be the death of me..."

His arms subconsciously wrapped around the broad back of his companion. Pausing, for a moment the younger of the two thought his comrade was serious. But then he felt, more than heard, the light laughter against his ribcage, and joined in, chuckling himself. "Probably."

Finally dragging himself off of his captain, he sank to the floor again; his previous fatigue catching up with him. "Well, that's no problem." He mumbled absently, not entirely aware of what he was implying.

And before he could recognize the gravity of what his first mate had just said, Luffy realized that his head was bare. "Wait.. where's my hat?"

After a short, albeit frantic search, they found that the infamous straw hat had miraculously fallen off before the rubber-man had been thrown into the water. It had landed harmlessly at the foot of one of the staircases, and was immediately back in its rightful place.

Luffy grinned, completely unaffected by his near-drowning, and adjusted his precious treasure on his hair. "There! Perfect!" He giggled happily, clearly back to himself already.

Zoro, however, was looking increasingly like he had been hadn't slept or eaten in weeks. He was propped against the mast, doubled over as he fought to stay conscious. 'Just a little while longer...'

"Hey, Zoro... Are you alright?"

In the midst of intensely regretting the whole 'bet' situation (whose bright idea had that been anyway...), the swordsman raised his head, with great effort, and met his captain's searching eyes. "Just twenty-five more minutes..." He urged, smacking himself a couple times for good measure.

Quirking an eyebrow at his first mate's strange behavior, Luffy wondered aloud at what his friend was talking about. "Twenty-five... minutes?" He repeated, cocking his head in question. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, you don't remember that either, eh?" Finally breaking into a drained smile, the older pirate tapped his wrist, as if to indicate a watch. "Does _no food for the day_ ring a bell?"

And in a rush of scrambling limbs, his captain was gone.

* * *

It had been approximately six minutes and forty-nine seconds since he had last seen Luffy (he was keeping track). He had quickly changed into some dry clothes before settling at the back of the boat, going slack against the railing as soon as he sat down. 

"Not much longer..." He chanted. "Not much longer..."

He had never felt such spectacular exhaustion before. The extent of his fatigue was so complete that he was actually astounded. 'I don't know if I'll be awake long enough after I win to keep Luffy from eating...'

Shaking himself to keep alert, he suddenly thought he heard a quiet plea for help. The swordsman frowned, listening closely for the voice again. 'Great, now I'm delirious...'

"Somebody help!" Came the meek, timid call.

"What?" Focusing on the source of the noise, Zoro could have sworn he saw fingers clutching at the edge of the deck. "You've gotta be joking... he didn't..."

Oh, but he had...

Luffy was hanging by his fingertips from the side of the Going Merry. His eyes had lifted when he had heard someone approach, and he met Zoro's 'what-the-_hell_-are-you-doing' look with a sheepish grin.

'He must have been trying to shimmy around behind me...' Zoro thought in annoyance. "Here I just hauled you _out_ of the ocean, and you go trying to toss yourself back _in!_" He turned his back on the dangling pirate. "Maybe I'll let you stay there for a little while longer."

His captain's expression was stricken, shocked as he looked pleadingly up at his companion. "W-what?"

"Yeah... Not only will you learn your lesson, but I won't have to worry about you sneaking up on me!" The first mate smirked, waving back over his shoulder as he sauntered away. "I'll be back for you eventually."

"Wait!" The smaller boy yelled, desperate to make his friend reconsider. "You can't just leave me here! Zoro!"

When there was no reply, Luffy whined nervously.

"Zoro?" He shifted uneasily, looking down at the crashing waves far beneath him. "Zoro?"

He bit his lip, struggling to maintain his hold on the boat. But his hands were slipping, and he was too afraid of losing his grip altogether to find a better support. His fingers were slipping! He was going to fall! 'How could Zoro do this to me?'

He felt the last of his purchase on the ship leaving.

'_Zoro!"_

* * *

Dun dun dun... Sorry, I had to throw in a stupid little cliffhanger. Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! Please review! Next chapter decides the winner! 

Next Time: Luffy's tactics just aren't working, and Zoro knows it. Will Zoro's overconfidence be justified? Or will one last ditch effort make Luffy the victor? Find out next chapter! (even _I_ hope the captain ate his fill at breakfast...)


	5. The Bet: At the Drop of a Hat

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the long wait. The only thing I can offer you as an excuse is that school is definitely going to kill me. Literally. So if I suddenly disappear, you all know why. Yeah, alright, now I'm just whining. I'm swamped with work this quarter, so bear with me! I'll update as often as I can manage. To be perfectly honest, writing and reading your wonderful reviews is the only thing keeping me sane right now, so thank you all!

I hate to self advertise, but just as a heads up, I've posted another Zolu oneshot called "And One for Good Luck." Check it out if you'd like!

**Dedication: Yes this chapter has a dedication! Yay! This chapter is totally dedicated to TreeStar, for the unbelievably WONDERFUL emails she has sent me. You totally rock! I look forward to hearing from you again! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

And it's the chapter you've all been waiting for! We finally find out who wins! Sweet! And yes (sigh) I know that was a really pathetic excuse for a cliffhanger.

Alright! I have randomly decided to count up what I deemed any obvious supporters of either Luffy or Zoro. So from the first 45 reviews, the results are as follows...

Luffy: 7

Zoro: 2 (including me)

Hehehe. Sorry Zoro.

And here I go! Replying to all the reviews for this story AND my newest oneshot...

To NF: I don't really know why, to be honest. It just kind of randomly popped into my mind, but it worked! You'll see what I mean. I'm sorry! I didn't think I was gonna cause lack of sleep with that cliffhanger! Thanks for the review!

To KOS-MOS 000-000-000-1: Hehehe, I know. Thanks for the comments!

To dichana: (regarding Stealth)- Hehehe, I upset a lot of people with that thing. I'm glad you can get into my story! That makes me so happy! (glomp) I'm not really sure where the barrel idea came from, but it just fit so well! Whoa... fanart? For _my_ story? I would freaking worship anyone who made fanart for my fics! Keep pondering! KEEP PONDERING! Hehehe, but seriously, I've seen some of you stuff, I wish I could draw like you! I feel the same way regarding my sanity. As I said, this story and you wonderful people are the only things keeping me from a breakdown!

(regarding AOfGL)- I made you cry? Really? (hug) I'm sorry! But I'm glad the story touched you! (blushes uncontrollably) You're so nice to say all that stuff! (superglomp) You're so awesome! Thank you so much! I can only pray the rest of my stories are somewhere near as good!

To Digitaldreamer: I'm so mean to Luffy, aren't I? I just realized that whenever I write a fic, I somehow abuse the poor kid! I'm gonna have to write a story where Zoro's finally the one getting beat on. hehehe. I'm glad you're liking it so far! (Just to let you know, I'm LOVING Dominos!) Dude... no. freaking. way. A mini doujin? Are you kidding? Of COURSE I wanna see it! I can't wait! I wonder what scene... but don't tell me! I think it'll be better as a surprise... I will so dedicate a chapter to you, and let everyone know about it so people can go check it out! GAH! That's so cool! (glomp) You're so awesome! Thanks for the review! Go check out my one shot if you have time. I'd love to hear your opinion. If you can't tell, I hold your comments in very high esteem!

To Midoriyugi-chan: (regarding Stealth)- Oh no! Wrath! (kicks Zoro) Hurry up you moron! Save Luffy! and you ARE being nice to review! Thanks so much! Sorry for the wait!

(regarding AOfGL)- Glad you enjoyed it! I tend to be so mean to poor Luffy, don't I? Thanks again!

To Oni No Yami: I have to agree, they are definitely the perfect couple! No contest. Thanks for the review!

To Rose Kitsune.EXE: Glad you think so! here's more and sorry for the delay! Thanks for the review!

To The Plushie Bandit: (Regarding Stealth)- Hehehe, yeah, I know, but there's an actual reason for him leaving him there. You'll see! Yup! The winner is discovered this chapter! Though all of the sudden I'm pondering just how funny/cruel it would be if I were lying... hehehe, anyway, You're obviously not the only one rooting for Luffy. Poor Zoro, nobody loves him. Except Luffy of course... And I know! I've read ML! It's so awesome! I can't wait for you to update! But I must add, that you DEFINITELY need to update BDAR. As in, like, NOW. Cause I can't wait much longer before I explode from anticipation. And if I explode, this obviously won't get updated anymore!

(regarding AOfGL)- (sniffle) WAH! You're so nice! (bawls) I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I've never gotten such an awesome review for a OP fic! You did indeed make me feel all warm and fuzzy! I can only hope my future stuff lives up to the standard set by this story then! To be honest, I had such a blast writing Sanji all pissed off. It was great! But don't you EVER doubt you're own work! (shakes fist) You're unbelievable! I could never come close to the depth of plot your stories have! And may I point out (jab jab) BDAR has about 350 reviews! Obviously you're doing something right! I would love to be able to come up with the amazing plots you do! And the plot twists! Don't get me started! I could never dream of thinking up something so awesome! And ML is priceless! I can't wait for more! Well, I guess that's enough of my ranting. But seriously, don't think for even a moment that your stories don't compare to mine, cause that's not true at all! Thank you so much! (HUG) Flamethrowers? AHH! Not flamethrowers! All my notes will catch fire! You're friend Becci? Does she read this too then? If so, thank her for me!

To Linksworstnightmare: Hey! Glad your likin' so far! Rereading it? (blinks) really? Sweet! And I'd love to help you if I can! Send me an email! Though I must warn you. I can be pretty eccentric and I have a tendency to go off on tangents. Thanks for the review!

To TreeStar: (regarding Stealth)- HI! (superglomp) If you didn't notice the bolded message above, I dedicated this chapter to you cause I love your emails! I'm so glad you're enjoying this so far! I hope this chapter is just as good! Thanks for everything! As soon as I post this I'll actually start replying to your last letter, hehehe.

(regarding AOfGL)- Author favorites? You are so awesome! (HUG) I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much!

To MisChef: Thank you! Glad you like it! Thanks for the comments!

To tea: I'm happy to hear you're liking it so far! Thanks for the review!

To evil rem: I know! Slivers are awful! Eww... Glad you like it! Thanks for the review!

To tori007otaku: It did indeed! Gotta have at least alittle drama. And you luffle it? Awww! hat's such a cute word! (glomp) And what matters is that you're review it now! Thanks for the review!

To em182: Yay! I love making people squee! I'm glad you enjoy it so much! Favorites? Really? You rock! (hug) Thanks for the review!

To Griever5: (regarding Stealth)- Glad you like it! Hehehe, what can I say? Luffy's dedicated. Thanks for the review!

(regarding AOfGL)- I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks!

To KuroKame: (regarding Stealth)- Yikes! (ducks) Whoa! Hehehe. Glad you're enjoying it so far! Hope you like this chapter too!

(regarding AOfGL)- And I'M jealous of your ability to draw them! Your art rocks! You're so nice to putAOfGLon your favorites! I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for the reviews!

To Noriko Sakuma:(regarding AOfGL)I'm so glad you liked it! Everyone cheer for the warm n fuzzies! Yay! (glomps you back) I so love you for reviewing! Thanks!

To Hiyama: (regarding AOfGL) Thank you very much! Thanks for the comments! I'll do my best!

To Illusion Of A Lunatic: (regarding AOfGL) Glad you liked it! Hmmm... Why does you name look so familiar... (thinks)... Dude! You write Burgundy Bruises! I just found that fic the other day, and I haven't gotten to read it all yet! I can't wait for more! I had to read it in a rush earlier so I didn't get a chance to review, but I'll get right on it! You're story is so awesome! Thanks again for the review!

To Rusco: (regarding AOfGL) Glad you feel that way! Thanks for the review!

To Anime-Dudette: (regarding AOfGL) Glad you like it! It's so cool of you to review my fic! I so admire your SanUso works! You're so great! Thanks for the review!

To LZfOx1379: hehehe, glad you like it! I will indeed write more! Keep an eye out! Thanks for the comments!

Wow... that was long... sorry about that! But thank you all for the support!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. Simple as that!

* * *

The Bet: At the Drop of a Hat

* * *

'Don'tfalldon'tfall_don'tfallDON'TFALL!_' 

Luffy clenched his eyes shut, desperately willing his fingers to hold out. 'PleaseohpleaseohpleaseohPLEASE! Don't fall!'

He could try stretching his way to safety, but he had no grip on the boat as it was, and using his powers would probably just jar him loose before he could grab something solid.

"Zoro..." The rubber-man whined miserably, voice unsteady. 'How could you do this to me?'

With his fingertips beginning to go numb, the captain gave another pitiful moan, biting his lip. "Zoro..."

Pressing his forehead against the side of the Going Merry, a panicked yelp burst from the captain's mouth when an particularly large wave crashed against the ship, the cold spray easily reaching the back of his legs.

'The ocean's reaching up to get me!' He thought frantically, heart rate doubling in its pace.

Cautiously, as if the movement of his own breath would knock him into the churning waters below, the young pirate let out one last cry, silently pleading for an answering call.

"Zoro!"

"Luffy."

Voice caught in a startled gasp of ecstatic relief, Luffy choked. Raising his eyes to the deck above him, his face relaxed into a grin. "Zoro?" Finding the space empty, he paused. "Zoro, where are you!"

Regressing back into his earlier state of alarm, he craned his head in all directions. "Zoro!" Eagerly seeking out the comfort that the silhouette of his first mate's broad frame always provided, his fear escalated when he found no sign of the swordsman.

There was a tired groan from somewhere below, and his friend's irritated tone rose up to meet him. "Quit thrashing! You're gonna shake yourself off!"

"But I'm slipping!" Was his response, the younger pirate's voice lifting into a wail.

"So let go," Zoro suggested easily, voice clipped in annoyance.

Momentarily forgetting his precarious situation, the rubber-man gave a short laugh. "Oh yeah! Why didn't I..." He drifted off into a brief silence. "_WHAT?_"

The outburst caused his already failing grip to waver dangerously. "Zoro," he whimpered, pain lacing through his words. "You _want_ me to fall into the ocean?"

There was a short, heavy pause before the first mate replied.

"What? Luffy I-"

"What did I do?" The captain questioned. "Did I do something wrong?" His tone was quiet and vulnerable as he pressed for a reason. "I'm sorry Zoro! I didn't mean to-"

"Luffy!"

The smaller pirate's mouth was halfway to forming another desperate apology, but the commanding quality in his comrade's voice brought him up short.

"Now," Zoro prompted, waiting to be sure he had his captain's attention. "What I _meant_ was let go so I can _catch_ you."

"Catch me?" Luffy echoed in confusion, blinking uneasily over his shoulder.

"_Yes,_" the swordsman stressed. "I'm too tired to haul you up over the rail, but I can drag you in through the window."

"Window?" Another blank look. What window? He didn't remember any window... "But where are you, Zoro?"

A loud, exasperated sigh met the rubber-man's ears.

"I'm _down here_."

Luffy jumped when he felt a large hand close around his ankle. With a surprised yelp, he jerked free from the boat, the last of his hold failing.

In distressingly slow motion the teen saw the deck slipping from his fingers, a sickening sense of weightlessness growing in the pit of his stomach. Fear gripped him, and he found himself unable to summon the will to reach for the ship.

Rendered almost speechless, the captain could only manage a strangled gasp. He felt the fist clenched around his leg shift, knocking him slightly sideways, before it disappeared altogether. "Zoro!"

When the hand vanished, it was almost instantly replaced by a familiar pair of arms, as strong and as constant as ever beneath his shoulders and knees.

"I've got you." The green haired young man grunted with the sudden impact, but immediately steeled himself, trapping his captain securely within his grasp. In all honesty, the pirate he now held in his arms was strangely light; almost _too_ light.

With his downward plummet suddenly brought to an astonishingly comfortable halt, Luffy turned a stunned expression on the man supporting him, who just happened to be hanging halfway out of a hatch in the side of the Going Merry.

'Oh yeah... I forgot about that thing...'

Recognizing Zoro, who now quirked an eyebrow at his lack of movement, he pitched himself sideways. Rolling deeper into the angle of the swordsman's elbows, he instantly latched onto the man's torso, locking his arms around broad shoulders.

"Zoro!" Overcome with relief, the rubber-man decided to express his thanks in the form of an unrelenting squeeze.

"Yeah, yeah." The older pirate tried to brush off the gesture with his gruff voice, but his body, of its own accord mind you, drew the boy closer; fitting him snugly in an awkward embrace.

Carefully balancing after his friend's abrupt toss, the first mate slowly inched them both back through the window. "I guess you won't be doing that again anytime soon, now will you?"

Shrinking slightly under his companion's scolding manner, Luffy gave a feeble shake of his head.

Nodding in return, Zoro gave a hum of approval. "Good."

Waiting patiently, and with some reluctance, for his swordsman to set him on his feet, the smaller teen was puzzled when they were both lowered to the floor of the storage room.

Settling himself back against a stack of wooden crates, the older pirate dropped his captain unceremoniously across his lap.

"Um..."

Raising his head at the curious tone, he found Luffy watching him expectantly. "What?"

Blinking widely, the younger of the two reached up to adjust his hat. "Aren't you gonna let me go?"

Absently taking his companion's hands in his own, Zoro did not reply until after he had surveyed the marks in the boy's fingertips. "Nah."

Another blink and a stumped silence. "...Nah?"

With a quick nod, the swordsman began gently stroking the rubber-man's slender fingers between his own rough ones; soothing the blood flow back into that mottled skin.

"I think I'll keep you right where you are. That way I won't have to worry about you sneaking up on me again_. Or _trying to throw yourself overboard."

"Oh." Surveying his first mate's casual posture, the boy completely misconstrued the statement, instead detecting a challenge that hadn't been offered. "Fine!" He huffed lightly, lifting his chin in defiance.

Startled, Zoro faltered in his ministrations. His eyes rose to stare oddly at the teen propped upon his knee. "Fine?" Where did that mood come from? "Well, alright." And with a shrug, he dropped his attention back to the boy's hands.

"Fine."

"Fine," the swordsman echoed again, the word mumbled in his distraction.

"...Fine."

Silence enveloped the room, and Luffy was temporarily sidetracked by the pressure working over his fingertips. "Uh..." He shifted restlessly, fidgeting while his gaze fixed on the exit. 'I didn't think he'd agree like that...'

The quiet was shattered a moment later when the boy tossed his head back and let out a strange, whining yowl.

"But _what_ ab_out_ the _bet!_" As if to emphasize his point, the captain began bouncing upon his first mate's folded leg.

Releasing the boy's fingers, the swordsman reached up to massage his forehead. The repetitive pressure on his lap jolted him back and forth, causing his already pounding head to throb with a renewed strength.

Sufficiently aggravated by his friend's outburst and the heavy vaulting against his thigh, Zoro threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine! Go ahead! You've got all of maybe three minutes left anyway."

Rocking himself to his feet, he brushed himself off, following his captain's sprint for the deck with a much more subdued method.

* * *

'One minute left!' Zoro grinned despite his splitting headache, reclining back against the ship's mast as he waited out the last moments of their wager. 

Forty-nine, forty eight, forty seven... At least according to the watch he had borrowed from Sanji.

Well... when he said _borrowed_, what he really meant was _stole while the love cook was preoccupied washing the dishes_. And when he said _from Sanji_, he really meant _from the unsupervised kitchen table_.

Honestly, the chef needed to keep an eye on his crap.

The swordsman was elated that this irritating little game was about to come to an end. He was so happy in fact, that he was even considering easing up on his victim and taking only _one_ meal away.

Fighting, with great difficulty, to keep his smile near something resembling his normally stern expression, the first mate glanced casually around the deck.

'No one's even up here to witness my victory? Oh we- ...Wait, is that what I think it is?'

Because what he _thought_ it was, was Luffy's hat just barely visible over the back of one of Nami's lounge chairs. But the rubber-man knew better than that... didn't he?

The straw hat tilted lazily to one side, and Zoro decided that no, his captain really didn't.

There were twenty seconds left on the clock when Zoro levered himself upright.

Sixteen seconds remained as he set his foot upon the bottom step of the stairway leading toward the bow.

The seventh second passed as he quietly approached the seat where the navigator usually spent her early afternoons.

"You know Luffy..."

Three...

"Nami's not going to happy if-"

Two...

"-she finds you using..."

One...

And a hand clapped down over his right shoulder.

The watch emitted a short, metallic ring, signaling the arrival of noon, but Zoro ignored it. He wasn't sure what he should do first...

Should he wonder who it was who now had him by the arm?

Or should he wonder why it was actually Nami who rested in the chair before him, twisting around to direct an odd look at his stunned face. Luffy's hat was resting serenely over her neatly combed hair.

"Nami?" When he finally managed to speak, his voice was cautious, his words slow. "Why do you have that hat?"

Lifting the object from her head, the navigator lowered the diagram she had been studying to focus on the infamous hat. "How should I know?"

"Luffy just dropped it on my head and told me to watch it for him." Once she was done scrutinizing the captain's most prized possession, she shoved it at the swordsman.

Opening his mouth to press further, Zoro was cut off as the young woman turned her back on him and settled back over her map. Frowning, the older pirate sighed. Clearly the conversation was over.

'Damn.' The green haired young man's grip on the hat tightened in aggravation. He _really_ didn't want to turn around...

The hand was still clasping his upper arm, but slipped away when he turned grudgingly around to face the boy he knew was standing behind him.

Much to his surprise, instead of an enormous, triumphant grin there was only a small, expectant smile brightening Luffy's face.

After handing the teen his treasure and watching the boy arrange it on top of his head, the older of the two crossed his arms and studied his captain. 'There's just no _way_...'

The rubber-man met his defiant glare easily, his smile slowly inching upward. They stood for several long moments, eyes locked, as if the bet hadn't even started yet and they were still sizing each other up.

Fidgeting back and forth, the smaller pirate propped his hands on his hips. "So... I win?"

Growling, Zoro finally lowered his head, preparing to accept his defeat like the principled young gentleman he was...

"THERE'S NO WAY YOU WIN! YOU CHEATED!"

Eyes widening beneath the brim of his hat, Luffy gaped at his friend's claim. "WHAT! I DIDN'T _CHEAT!_ I DON'T CHEAT!"

"YOU DID TO!" The swordsman thrust an accusing finger at Nami, who was shielding her ears while scowling back at them over her shoulder. "You got Nami to help! And what about Sanji and Usopp!"

His captain stalked closer, so they were face to face. "You never said I couldn't use a decoy!" Arms flailing in emphasis, the teen repeated the earlier agreement. "You said I couldn't stretch! That's it!"

"I-" Zoro began, shaking a fist at the boy in front of him. "But you-" He tried again for a scathing reply, but came up empty. The kid was right...

Clutching at his short hair, the older teen threw his head back and gave an angry shout towards the open sky. "How could this happen?" He asked aloud, shaking his head in denial. "How could you _win!_"

Abruptly he whirled on his companion, sending the younger pirate shying backwards a step or two.

"You're not _sneaky_, you're not _conniving_..." He extended one hand, counting on his fingers as he rattled onward. "You're not stealthy, not cunning, _not_ sly, _not_ tricky, _NOT_ secretive..." The first mate aimed a look of complete bewilderment at his captain. "There's not a devious bone in your body! How could you _win!_"

Pondering over the words his companion had rifled off, Luffy tapped a finger against his lip in thought. "Um... because I'm crafty?" He offered helpfully, picking a word he hadn't heard listed and beaming at his friend.

The look his swordsman turned his way was... unimpressed.

"No, you're not," he countered flatly. He gave a wounded groan when in response, his comrade whipped out his trump card: that insufferable pout. His posture slumping, he waved vaguely at the boy. "Fine," he began. "I yield. You win."

Shocked for a moment, the rubber-man quickly recovered enough to throw his fists in the air. "Woohoo!"

For a brief time the boy fumbled about in a peculiar jig, and Zoro couldn't tell whether the boy was trying to rejoice or just fighting to stay upright. The smaller teen let out another excited cry, but soon after sobered again.

This time it was the first mate's turn to be stunned. That little victory dance fell far short of the celebratory parade he'd expected.

Having watched the dramatic conclusion of her crewmate's bet, Nami stood gracefully and sauntered her way over to halt beside the swordsman. With a coy smile she voiced the wonderful idea that had just occurred to her.

"You know Luffy," she began sweetly. "The storage room could really use a good cleaning."

Whining dejectedly, the rubber-man huffed, crossing his arms stubbornly. "I don't wanna do chores!"

The navigator's lips twisted into a sneer. "I never said that _you_ had to do the cleaning."

"Wha...?" Blinking at his only female crewmember, he reached up to scratch absently at his left ear. "What do you... _oh!_" Turning to face his first mate, his eyes lit as they landed on Zoro.

Smirking in satisfaction, the young woman rubbed her hands in a devilish manner.

Zoro had never heard anyone actually _cackle_ before, but Nami pulled off the wicked-witch act quite nicely. 'Now _there's_ someone who knows how to be conniving... Damn...'

* * *

And there it is! The conclusion of Part I! I hope you all enjoy it! Next up is part I: The Aftermath! Dun dun dun... Alright, so it's not actually that dramatic, but whatever. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! Keep me from losing all grip on my life! I beg of you! (sobs) 

Next time: And so begins Zoro's day of torment. Starting off the afternoon, chores! Thanks a lot, Nami. Poor, poor Zoro... Or is he? He's about to find out that the work can be more pleasant than expected...


End file.
